Agapanthus plant named ‘Blue Flare’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Agapanthus  named ‘Blue Flare’, characterized by its mid season blooming habit and re-blooms for up to 6 weeks, its blue self-cleaning flowers that are held primarily upright from pedicels (not drooping), and its medium tall plant height.

Botanical classification: Agapanthus praecox.

Varietal denomination: ‘Blue Flare’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAgapanthus praecox and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivarname, ‘Blue Flare’. ‘Blue Flare’ represents a new perennial herb grownfor landscape use.

The new Agapanthus originated as the result of an on going breedingprogram in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa. The goal of the breedingprogram was to produce a cultivar of Agapanthus of medium size with are-blooming habit.

‘Blue Flare’ originated as a seedling that arose from seed planted fromopen pollination of an unnamed plant of Agapanthus praecox from theInventor's breeding program in 2002. The male parent is unknown. The newAgapanthus was selected as a single unique plant in December of 2004.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by invitro propagation under the direction of the Inventor in December of2005 in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa. Asexual propagation bydivision and tissue culture has determined that the characteristics ofthis cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. The characteristics in combinationdistinguish ‘Blue Flare’ as a distinct cultivar of Agapanthus.

-   -   1. ‘Blue Flare’ exhibits a mid season blooming habit and        re-blooms for up to 6 weeks.    -   2. ‘Blue Flare’ exhibits blue flowers that are held primarily        upright from pedicels (not drooping.    -   3. ‘Blue Flare’ exhibits flowers that are self-cleaning.    -   4. ‘Blue Flare’ exhibits a medium-tall plant height.        The female parent differs from ‘Blue Flare’ in having flowers        that are drooping, not re-blooming and not self-cleaning. ‘Blue        Flare’ can be compared to the cultivars ‘Peter Pan’ (not        patented) and ‘Snowball’ (not patented). ‘Peter Pan’ is similar        to ‘Blue Flare’ in being evergreen and in having blue flowers,        but ‘Peter Pan’ differs from ‘Blue Flare’ in being shorter in        plant height, in having flowers that are held more outward, and        in lacking a re-blooming habit. ‘Snowball’ is similar to ‘Blue        Flare’ in being evergreen, in having full flower heads and a        re-blooming habit. ‘Snowball’ differs from ‘Blue Flare’ in        having white flowers and a shorter plant height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Agapanthus. The photographs weretaken of a four year-old plant of ‘Blue Flare’ as field grown outdoorsin Cape Town, Republic of South Africa.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of‘Blue Flare’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of‘Blue Flare’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized and color values cited inthe detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of thenew Agapanthus.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The general observations and descriptions describe plants about fouryear-old in age as grown outdoors under field conditions in Cape Town,Republic of South Africa. The phenotype of the new cultivar may varywith variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, asit has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determinations are in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Re-blooms for up to 6 weeks in mid summer            in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa.        -   Plant type.—Evergreen perennial herb.        -   Plant habit.—Upright with cascading foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches a height of about 80 cm in bloom            and a spread of about 50 cm.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 8.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fleshy main roots and fibrous secondary            roots.        -   Propagation.—Tissue culture and division.        -   Root development.—A division will root and finish in a            6-inch container in about 90 days at 25° C. with high light            intensity.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—2-ranked, in rosette.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf aspect.—Emerging leaves erect, then cascade.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, color matches leaf coloration.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 53 cm in length and 2.8 cm in width.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous, slightly glossy.        -   Leaf substance.—Thick and leathery, moderate to high            durability to stress.        -   Leaf number.—Average of 20 per rosette.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves, upper surface; Yellow-Green 144A            young leaves, lower surface; Yellow Green 146B mature            leaves, upper surface; Yellow-Green 144A and White 157B near            base, mature leaves, lower surface; Yellow-Green 146C and            White 157B near base.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile to crown.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Simple umbel.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower type.—Campanulate.        -   Flower number.—Full flower heads; an average of about 60            flowers per umbel, one umbel per peduncle and one peduncle            per rosette.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 9 cm in depth and 15 cm in            diameter.        -   Flower size.—About 3.7 cm in depth and 1.2 cm in width.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 35 days.        -   Longevity as a cut flower.—About 1 week.        -   Flower aspect.—Held primarily upright from pedicel.        -   Peduncle.—Strong, somewhat flattened, held erect, average of            90 cm in length and 1.2 cm in width at distal region and 10            mm in width at proximal region, surface is glabrous, color            Yellow-Green 144B.        -   Pedicels.—Strong, average of 5 cm in length and 2 mm in            width, held erect to outward, color Yellow-Green 144A,            surface is glabrous.        -   Flower buds.—Obovate in shape, average of 3 cm in length and            11 mm in width, color Violet Blue 92B.        -   Tepals.—6, narrow obovate in shape, entire margin, glabrous            texture, acute apex, average of 3 cm in length and 10 mm in            width, color when young inner surface; Violet-Blue 91C,            color when young outer surface; Violet-Blue 91B, color            mature inner surface; Violet-Blue 91D, color mature outer            surface; Violet-Blue 91C, mid rib on all surfaces            Violet-Blue 92A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, average of 2 cm in length, stigma is            narrow clavate in shape and Violet-Blue 91B in color, style            is about 2.5 cm in length and Violet-Blue 97B in color,            ovary is Yellow-Green 150B in color.        -   Androecium.—6 stamens, anthers are dorsified, oblong in            shape, average of 2 mm in length, and Violet Blue 91B in            color, filament is 2 cm in length, pollen is low in quantity            and Brown 199B in color.        -   Fruit/seed.—Have not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Agapanthus plant named‘Blue Flare’ as herein illustrated and described.